Recognize the Summit

                                                      
                                                  Recognize the Summit



What does this mean to recognize the summit? When I first asked myself this question I began to understand that I did not have a clue. Beyond this I did not really have a viable plan or even a road map of how I was going to get there, that personal bar that I had set for myself. More importantly I did not have a clear understanding of what would be involved in reaching my summit and what it would be like once I got there. In my own mind I had always envisioned myself obtaining my goals by arriving at that apex in my life and by accomplishing this I would live happily ever after. Would I? After a few years and some serious soul searching it became clear to me that without a carefully thought out and established plan in place my chances of achieving my ambitions were slim to none. I began to comprehend that there is more to just having a good plan. It became clear to me that I must first have the tools in place to work my plan. This began my journey of self-examination and a search for truth in my own life. I began to identify areas that I needed to bring into balance in order to equip myself for the journey. These areas included my relationships, spiritual, emotional, financial and physical well being. I understood that by leaving anyone of these out could seriously jeopardize the outcome of my plan. This looked like a pretty tall order. If you are like me you may be asking yourself these questions. Am I up to the challenge? Is it worth the sacrifice? Will I be able to endure disappointments and setbacks along the way? Am I able to delay gratification in fulfillment of my goal until I have all the tools I need to get there? If the answer is yes to all of these then there is only one more question you need to ask yourself. When do I start? There is no better time than right now. One decision like this can be a life changer. Procrastination is an empty promise that breeds a false complacency. There will always be another tomorrow, although there are no guarantees, but there is only one today. You do not have to wait until you feel that you have obtained balance in every area of your life before you begin. These areas will come into fruition as you consciously make an effort to build and strengthen them everyday during your journey but remember that by leaving any one of them out may jeopardize the final result of your climb. You may reach your summit without one or two of them but at what cost? What kind of life will you have? Your success and happiness may be short lived. You may arrive at that personal or financial pinnacle you set for yourself but the price tag may be higher than you anticipated. The trade off could be your health, your emotional well being or maybe even your family. I do not lay claim to having all of these areas in my life brought into a perfect equilibrium but I do have a plan. My plan is to include building a healthy and strong foundation in each one of them along the way. I believe that the highest summit that we can possibly reach is not measured by monetary wealth or personal achievements but in what we can give or plant into the lives of others. This establishes a lasting legacy that lives on long after we are gone. I believe that a person can be wealthy and still have all of the other areas in their life fulfilled. By not centering on just one area brings the bigger picture into focus. I recognize that we are only trustees and stewards of God’s possessions. Love, Peace and Joy are the highest achievements we could ever hope to obtain in our lives. Our search for true happiness is in recognizing this highest point of accomplishment in its truest form. To help meet the needs of another above our own is the highest summit we could ever hope to attain.

Have a blessed day,

Terry Earp